How Extended Stay Motels And Hotels Work

Whether or not a hotel can accommodate extended stay patrons is determined by the licensing requirements set forth by their local zoning authority. Each city or municipality has the right to set their own standards on this issue.

Often, as is the case where I live in Duluth Minnesota, special circumstances present themselves that are an answer to a local problem.

For example, snowbirds (people who migrate between the northern states for the summer months and southern states for the winter) are very popular in this area. Many people live in RVs here year round — while others simply come north during the hottest months.

During the middle of the summer, the local college dorms are empty due to summer break. With these empty rooms being a financial burden when unoccupied, the solution became to rent them out to snowbirds for those summer months. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Another example: construction workers. They typically travel from job to job within a specific region — often staying put for a matter of months. Signing a year-long lease isn’t practical and staying weeks at a time in a hotel becomes quite expensive. Extended stay hotels become the perfect option!

My Personal Experience Living In A Motel

My own experience living in extended stay motels included a 3-month period between the sale of an existing home and waiting for construction to finish up on our new home.

We were able to stay close to our neighborhood and schools — which meant that our routine was hardly disturbed, while most of our household items were boxed up and stashed away in a storage unit.

How Much Does It Cost To Live In A Hotel?

With a kitchenette, you have the ability to cook meals and store food supplies — removing the cost of eating out at restaurants from your budget.

Believe it or not, you may find that staying in an older motel with a kitchenette is only a little bit more expensive on a monthly basis than you would pay for a local apartment rental with a year-long lease.

So to answer the underlying question, “Can you live in a motel?” The answer is YES, you most definitely can!

“How much does it cost to live in a hotel?” is the next most logical question. There isn’t one single answer to this one. Monthly hotel rentals can cost $800 a month and up — it depends on the hotel you choose and where it’s located.

I’ve been involved in RVing for over 40 yrs -- including camping, building, repairing, and even selling RVs. I’ve owned, used, and repaired almost every class and style of RV ever made. I do all of my own repair work. My other interests include cooking at home, living with an aging dog, and dealing with diabetic issues. If you can combine a grease monkey with a computer geek, throw in a touch of information nut and organization freak, combined with a little bit of storyteller, you've got a good idea of who I am.